A soft sound came from above as the person sitting at the cave entrance dropped something that rolled to Fan Jia’s feet. She picked it up and saw two steamed buns wrapped in a plastic bag, still steaming.
"Are you hungry?" His voice was gentle. "This is all I have for now. I only went as far as the intersection to buy them—didn’t dare go farther. The police are searching everywhere for me."
Fan Jia remained silent and quickly finished the buns. Then, instinctively looking up, she flinched in terror. Chen Zhaoci was crouched at the cave opening, his face clearly visible through the iron bars. He appeared as reserved and taciturn as ever.
But Fan Jia knew he was nothing like he seemed. He was the one who had held a camera, recording videos of the company’s employees toying with a young girl. He was also the one who, just as she was about to escape, had mercilessly dragged her back into the darkness. And now, he had managed to evade everyone’s notice, imprisoning her in this lightless underground cave.
Chen Zhaoci gazed at her, his eyes clear and somewhat clingy. He watched her quietly for a long while, sending chills down her spine.
Yet, at this moment, stronger than her fear was Fan Jia’s thirst for the truth. It was this very desire that enabled her to overcome her terror. She asked, "I saw the video on Zhou Rongfeng’s computer. Liu Yisha’s death was an accident—it had nothing to do with you. Afterward, was it them who stuffed her body into a box and dumped it by the river?"
Chen Zhaoci stared back and replied, "They handed her over to me to dispose of. Once they’d played her to death, no one wanted to take responsibility, so they dumped her on me."
Fan Jia said, "You could have refused. Could they really have forced you?"
Chen Zhaoci chuckled softly. "Refuse? If the body had been discovered, I wouldn’t have been able to escape blame either. And... when it comes down to it, Liu Yisha brought it upon herself. She agreed to sleep with them in exchange for a month’s interest reduction. She wasn’t like you. Such a depraved, cheap girl. She deserved it!"
Though Fan Jia was still inexperienced, she vaguely sensed that Chen Zhaoci’s attitude was overly intense. A sudden insight struck her, and she blurted out, "What about the others? The other girls who owed money—did they sink into depravity too, or did they resist?"
Chen Zhaoci snorted lightly. "Most of them willingly degraded themselves. To them, sleeping for money seemed like an easy way out. They cast aside shame, betrayed their partners—some even did it repeatedly! Others were unwilling but foolish enough to get drugged, and in the end, they still gave in. Only you—you’re the only one who fought back, injured Zhou Rongfeng, and escaped. You are unique."
He spoke calmly, as steady and logical as usual. Yet, looking at him, Fan Jia shuddered inexplicably.
She had never truly encountered a psychopath before. After Gu Tiancheng’s arrest, Fan Jia had only participated in the interrogation. Besides, Gu Tiancheng had been utterly defeated back then, no different from any other criminal. Panic stirred within her: Is Chen Zhaoci not quite normal? Back at the police academy, she had studied a bit of criminal psychology. To deal with a psychopath, she needed to analyze his behavior, grasp his mindset—only then could she turn the tables!
He said she was unique.
He condemned those girls as depraved, as betrayers of their partners.
He claimed those who couldn’t escape were just foolish.Then he took such a great risk and brought her here. The fact that You Mingxu and the others still hadn’t found her showed how skilled he was in this area, with a strong ability to counter criminal investigations.
Fan Jia: “If I’m… one of a kind, then what about Zhao Feier? Wasn’t she your one and only?”
If Yin Feng had been present at that moment, he would have smiled knowingly, because Fan Jia had asked an excellent and utterly unexpected question.
Fan Jia stared intently at Chen Zhaoci’s face.
However, his reaction dashed her hopes. There was no trace of emotion in his eyes; he only furrowed his brow slightly and asked, “Who are you talking about?”
“Zhao Feier. The girl who was murdered a year ago, also a client of your company, the one stuffed into a box.”
Chen Zhaoci looked at Fan Jia: “I did imitate that case when disposing of Liu Yisha’s body. But I never even met Zhao Feier, and she wasn’t my client when she was alive. Do you think I killed her? Is that the kind of person you think I am? I’ve never killed anyone!” After saying this, he slammed his palm against the iron bars, making a loud clanging sound.
For some reason, Fan Jia found his reaction believable.
If Chen Zhaoci wasn’t the real killer of Zhao Feier…
Then why did he kidnap her?!
Fan Jia was originally bold and straightforward. Once she grasped this fact, she suddenly no longer feared Chen Zhaoci. She stood up from the ground, placed her hands on her hips, raised her head, and asked, “Tell me, what exactly do you plan to do with me?”
Chen Zhaoci was also taken aback, surprised by her sudden burst of vitality. He stared at her for a few seconds, then smiled faintly and said calmly, “At first, I wanted to save you, afraid you’d fall into their hands. How was I supposed to know you’re a police officer? What do you think I should do with you?”
Fan Jia could hardly believe her ears. This man, who had already shown signs of being disturbed, had originally intended to save her? Yet it seemed plausible. And this person, sometimes extreme, sometimes clear-headed and rational, was a bit tricky to handle.
However, once Fan Jia’s fighting spirit was ignited, she became relentless in pursuing her goals. In this regard, she was similar to the other two in her team, and even to the entire criminal investigation squad led by Lao Ding. Her thoughts shifted, and she asked another question: “Was your former lover harmed by Campus Loan in the same way?”
The girl’s gentle yet clear words struck Chen Zhaoci’s ears like a thunderclap. He looked into her clear, round eyes and seemed to see the girl from many years ago, lying in a pool of blood, her innocent, childlike eyes wide open, staring at him. From then on, she gazed into every one of his dreams, deep into his Soul.
—
Chen Zhaoci’s mother passed away when he was very young. He could no longer remember what she looked like.
He only remembered that many people had come to their cramped home back then. The coffin was placed in the living room, with a black-and-white funeral portrait hanging above it. Because of the funeral, the family had bought some rare candies. One bag was placed on the table above the coffin.
Chen Zhaoci really wanted to eat the candy, but many people were talking and wiping away tears. No one paid him any attention. Finally, he seized a moment when his father was alone, tugged at the adult’s sleeve, and said, “Dad, I want to eat candy!” His father looked up, his eyes red and bloodshot like a wild beast’s, reeking of alcohol. His father slapped him across the face and scolded, “You heartless little beast!”He was just a little boy when he was knocked to the ground. Some people nearby were trying to persuade his father, while others were watching him. Chen Zhaoci's lips quivered, and he began to wail loudly, which only earned him an even harsher beating from his father.
…
From then on, Chen Zhaoci developed a hatred for funerals, and for everything and everyone associated with them.
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